Michael and Sonia

WELCOME!

Thank you for taking the time to consider us. We are thankful for the incredible gift of love and hope you have decided to provide your child. We want you to know that adoption was a first choice for us and something we considered since we were dating. We hope that the next few pages will provide you with a good sense of who we are. And hopefully we can do a great job of assuring you that we can provide a stable home full of love, laughter, and opportunity.

-Michael & Sonia

OUR STORY

We met in college at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Although we were next-door neighbors, Sonia did not notice Michael until he literally fell head over heels for her. No, really! Sonia was walking with a friend when Michael rode his bike down the stairs in front of her. He caught his pedal on the stair, took a tumble and flew head over handlebars landing face first at Sonia’s feet. A root canal and a few stitches later, we started dating and have been inseparable ever since. That was over 20 years ago! The rest, as they say, is history. We love to travel and have traveled the world (from the FIFA World Cup in Germany, to Maccu Piccu, to the Great Wall of China, and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa!). We have been to Europe, China, Vietnam, Nepal, Africa, Russia, Peru, Central America, Mexico, and nearly 40 of the 50 states in the US! We have been to the far corners of the world and cannot wait to share our love of adventure and exploration with our children. There are so many more adventures to be had! As Dr. Seuss wrote, “Oh the Places we will Go!” After brief stints living in New Orleans and San Diego, we are now settled in L.A. just down the road from Sonia’s extended family. Michael is an architect for a major design firm and Sonia is an attorney for a labor union. Because Michael’s profession has more telecommuting opportunities, he works a 4/10 schedule in order to maximize his time raising our children. The other 4 days, Sonia’s parents take care of the kids. This means that they are always with family because we believe that family is the most important thing. We are at a point in our lives where we are fortunate enough to be able to offer your child a world of opportunities, support, and stability.

OUR ADOPTION STORY

When we chose the path of adoption, neither of us expected the road that would unfold. The road was longer than we thought, bumpier than we expected, and had more twists and turns than anyone predicted. But the best piece of advice we received was “This path of adoption that you have chosen will only lead to one destination; the one that unites you with the child that is MEANT to be a part of your family. You won’t know where that road will end, or when until you get there.. Then in an instant, you’ll know, and it will be as if it always was.” We met Rafael on the day he was born (Sonia was in the room for the birth at the request of his Birth Mother). Before that time, our son was loved by his Birth mother, and from that moment on, our son has been loved by everyone. The day the adoption was finalized came with only 3 days notice, right before Christmas. Our family and friends dropped what they were doing, and some flew halfway across the country to celebrate this day with us. They weren’t going to miss this for anything. On that day, Rafael was surrounded by his parents, grandparents, friends, and extended family to celebrate the moment he was formally and forever welcomed to his family.

SONIA (Through Michael’s Eyes):

Loyal, Wise, Kind, Honorable, and Loving. These are only a few of the words that describe the goofy woman you see in these pictures (Did I mention that she is also hilarious?). From the moment I came in to Sonia’s life I knew that I had “stumbled” on to someone special. The type of person you don’t meet every day; my perfect match. Born and raised in Los Angeles’s San Fernando valley, Sonia comes from a very tight-knit family. She is the oldest of 3 and has always been driven to lead by example. Sonia was the first in her family to go to college after which she blazed a path through law school to become a licensed Attorney in the state of California. She is by far the smartest person I have ever met. Don’t let that fool you though, Sonia is about as far from a stuffy lawyer as you can get. Whether she is spending the day playing with any one of the many children in our life (including our own), exploring one of the countless hiking trails near us, testing out a new recipe for dinner, or curled up with our dog reading a good book there is nowhere I would rather be than by her side. I feel so lucky to call this woman my wife, am amazed by her as a mother and cannot wait to begin this next journey with her. Sonia is quite simply one of a kind. (and don’t tell anyone, but our son AND nephew say she is the best person to make cookies with).

Sonia’s Career: After graduating from Tulane University with a Bachelor’s of Science (with a double major in Neuroscience and Art history) Sonia decided that she wasn’t yet ready to leave school. This decision led her to Law School and what would be the most important step on her career path. Graduating from the University of San Diego with her Law Degree has opened up a world of opportunity in the professional world. She is now highly valuable and sought after in many different arenas, not just in the Law. Sonia ultimately decided to work for a Labor Union protecting worker’s rights. She promoted to become the youngest Supervising Legal counsel in the history of her Union (in under 10 years). She now manages the Legal staff for the entire Southern California region. Sonia truly provides the perfect balance and counterpoint to my creativity. She is logical, structured, and focused. She simply cannot wait to guide our children down life’s path and teach them everything she knows.

MICHAEL (Through Sonia’s Eyes):

Having known Michael for more than half his life, I consider myself somewhat of an expert. He is a fantastic listener, sweet, and most importantly, kind. I can always count on Michael to listen to me on our nightly walks. He instinctively knows when I need advice and when I just need him to listen. And it’s not just me he listens to. He listens to my parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, and cousins. He’s the family soundboard. Everyone feels comfortable talking to him because along with great listening skills comes a lack of judgment which makes everyone feel safe talking to him. Michael is incredibly sweet and considerate. Whenever he finds out I’m having a trying day, I know I can count on him to cheer me up with text messages, goofy pictures, or some Mexican Hot Chocolate. It doesn’t even matter when I need it. Michael never makes anything seem inconvenient. Possibly because it’s never inconvenient to make the people he loves feel better. And he isn’t afraid to own that either. He’s confident enough in himself as a man to know that he can have a soft side. Michael’s best attribute, though, is his kindness. You’ll never hear Michael maliciously gossip, pass judgment, or purposely hurt another individual. He lives by the Platinum Rule – treat others as they would want to be treated. Michael is compassionate and always seeks to include everyone. These 3 attributes – fantastic listener, sweet, and kind – are what has made Michael an amazing father. I do not say this in theory for not only is he already a favorite of the cousins/nieces/nephews, our son adores him. Michael’s skills as a son, brother, cousin, and uncle have directly translated to his role as a father. As we now expand our family, Michael will give your child more love and support than you can imagine. Of that, I have absolutely no doubts.

Michael’s Career: Michael is a licensed architect in the State of California and is entering the 18th year of his career. He currently works for a major Design firm with offices worldwide! Whether he is designing Professional sports Stadiums, Luxury High rise Hotels and condominiums, single family houses, or just scouring Pinterest to find amazing ideas, being creative is what he finds most exciting. Michael absolutely cannot wait to pass on his love of design and spend time creating with our children. He is grateful for the ability to work from home, which we both agree is ideal for raising our children.

FAMILY (His/Hers/OURS):

Michael’s Family: Michael was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. His mom, Connie was born and raised in Kansas and his dad, Nick, while born in Germany, was also raised in Kansas. He is the oldest of two with a brother who is 4 years younger. After a 6 year tour in the Army, a wife and 4 beautiful kids Michael’s brother Cory has returned to Kansas. Growing up, Michael’s family was very close. Whether it was everyone sitting around the dinner table discussing their day, or spending almost every weekend together at someone’s soccer game, or basketball game, or bowling league, Michael’s family was always there tosupport one another. This midwestern upbringing gave Michael a foundation built on good solid values, family togetherness, and stability. While it may appear that Michael is the rebel of the family moving so far away, he is not… Simply put, he has found the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with, she just happens to have been born and raised in Los Angeles.

Sonia’s family: Sonia is the oldest of three. Her sister and brother-in-law are both teachers and have an 8 year old son. Her brother and his fiancé have 10 year-old and 2 year old daughters. She is close to both siblings and speaks to them regularly. Sonia is incredibly close with her mom. She speaks with her mom daily and rarely goes more than a few days without visiting her. Her mom and dad live only 5 minutes away and are never far from her thoughts. On most weekends, Sonia and her family get together to have brunch or dinner (depending on everyone’s schedule) and play board games. This tradition began in childhood and has continued throughout her life. Sonia has an extremely large extended family. Her mom is one of nine and her dad is one of eight. She has too many cousins and second-cousins to count. Most weekends there are invitations to some family event – whether it’s a baptism, wedding, birthday, etc. With that many people in the extended family, there is always somewhere to be.

OUR Family: Rafael came in to our family on the day he was born and now, having known this amazing toddler for over 2 and a half years, we unequivocally say he has been out greatest blessing so far. From the moment he was born (the first words the nurses said were “WOW! He is strong!”) through today, Rafael is growing into an amazing person. This sweet, goofy, energetic, polite, and loving boy has enriched our lives in every way that we expected and many that we did not. He wakes up in the morning with a full battery ready to play, learn, torment our dog, and interact… with everyone. Rafael is a social butterfly who says hello to people we know, people we don’t, and people we just pass on the street. Fluent in English and Spanish, he constantly amazes us with just what, and how much, he has already learned. He soaks up knowledge like a sponge. But Rafael also has a nurturing side that comes out when we play with friends who have babies. He’ll be the best big brother anyone could ask for, and we can’t wait for him to teach, guide, and be an amazing role model for his future brother or sister.

Mercedes is part goofball, part sweetheart… and all Jack Russell. She is loving, friendly, and very energetic! Whether she is taking long walks in the park or lounging in the sun, she has had a great life in this loving family. Now she loves having a little one around to throw balls for her to fetch; someone to teach her some patience. 😉 We are all FOUR ready for our family to become FIVE!

Our Promises to your baby:

We are READY for you… The nursery is built and ready to come to life!

We will provide a SAFE/STABLE environment… We have been together for 20 years, Michael’s parents have been together 41 years and Sonia’s 37 years! We aren’t going anywhere.

We will EXPLORE the world… We have already seen so much, and can’t wait to show you the rest!

We will SUPPORT you… We will listen to you, know you, and guide you to become the best you.

We will TEACH you life skills… Practical, Intellectual, and Creative

We will foster your EDUCATION… We were each the first in our family to go to college. You will be the next.

The WORLD is within your reach… You will be bound only by your dreams!

Our FAMILY is waiting!

Thank you…for taking the time to get to know us!

We appreciate how hard of a decision this must be, and admire your courage. We hope you find peace and comfort in knowing that whichever decision you ultimately choose will be the right decision for your baby. When you follow your heart, everything will work out for the best. We would like to thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about us. While we realize that this process can feel a bit overwhelming, hopefully we were able to give you a glimpse in to our lives; who we are, our values, and our vision for a family. We would be honored if you choose us to raise your child and promise to provide him or her with all of the love, comfort, and opportunities they deserve. We want to help support you in making the decision that’s best for you.